Sudoku
by OnePirateWolf96
Summary: Uhura finds a Sudoku book and decides to let Spock have it. McCoy bets he can't finish it in Two Days. (Contains very mild Spock/Jim)


**So, here's another short Star Trek fanfic based on a prompt on Pintrest. Enjoy, and tell me what you think!**

Sudoku Challenge

It all started in the mess hall. Jim, Spock and McCoy were eating lunch, Jim and McCoy next to each other and Spock opposite of Jim. They had just gotten down from the bridge. Jim had gotten a double cheese burger ("dammit Jim, eat more healthy!"), Spock had a salad and McCoy had meatloaf with salad on the side. Suddenly Uhura showed up, carrying underneath her tray some book that looked to be at least a couple of hundred pages thick, and quite old.

"Hello, Lt. Uhura," Jim greeted her, as Spock and McCoy simply nodded in greeting. "What do you have there?" he asked, referring to the book. It wasn't everyday people were carrying books instead of PADDs or something else digital.

"Oh, it's an old Sudoku book," she held up the thing to reveal the word 'Sudoku' on the cover. "I was cleaning up my quarters a bit and found it." She shrugged slightly, apparently not really being sure where the book even came from in the first place. "I don't really do Sudoku's, though, but I thought Mr Spock might enjoy it," she explained, putting the book on the table between Spock and Jim.

"Fascinating," Spock commented as he took the book and flipped through it, stopping occasionally to look at some of the pages. "This could present an interesting challenge, as well as intellectual stimuli." He barely even looked up from the book while talking. "Thank you, Lt. Uhura."

"You're welcome," she smiled, heading to join Scotty, Sulu and Chekov at another table.

"Bet you can't finish it in two days," McCoy challenged him from across the table.

"Betting on how long it will take me to finish the Sudoku-book is illogical," Spock answered calmly, putting the book aside in favour of his lunch.

"How long do you think you need to solve it, then?" Jim asked, just out of curiosity.

"Irrelevant," Spock commented, refusing to talk about the Sudoku book anymore. "We're due at the bridge in twenty-point-seven minutes, I will see you there, Captain." With that, he picked up his now empty tray and the Sudoku book and left. Jim and McCoy looked at each other.

"I think he'll finish it in two days," Jim said, accepting McCoy's challenge. Of course Spock could do it, he was definitely smart enough. Maybe he could convince Spock to let him give it a shot as well.

"It's a bet," McCoy said, and they shook hands on it.

******** Later - Night-time ********

"Spock, are you coming to bed anytime soon?"

"Vulcans require less sleep than humans, Jim. You know that."

"It's two-thirty am! Leave the Sudoku and come to bed already!"

******** The next day ********

Early in the morning, everyone were on the bridge except Spock, who was uncharacteristically late. Only by about two minutes, but it was still unusual for the man who was usually at his station well before his shift started.

"There you are, Spock!" McCoy was the first to notice when Spock showed up on the bridge, a familiar-looking book tucked under his arm. "Decide to sleep in this morning?"

"No," Spock replied, almost sounding annoyed, if he wasn't Vulcan. "The captain decided to turn of the alarm this morning," he sent a look at Jim, who did his best to look innocent in the whole thing.

"Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up until five-thirty am," he argued with his first officer.

"Why would you be up until five-thirty?" McCoy questioned, ready to pull out his tricorder in case there was something wrong with Spock.

Without a word Spock whipped out the book he was carrying and presented it to the doctor, who accepted it, looking somewhat confused and even more so when he noticed it was that stupid Sudoku-book. He opened it to notice every single one of the puzzles was solved.

"You finished it already?"

A lifted eyebrow was the only answer he got, in a silent 'obviously'.

"How long did that take?"

"Approximately 7 hours, 48 minutes and 52.6 seconds," came the answer.

"You made that up!" McCoy accused. "No-one can keep track like that!"

"I am Vulcan, Doctor. I assure you, I can," Spock told him, accompanied by yet another raised eyebrow. Then turned to Jim, who was looking at him with a smug grin.

"I guess this means I win," he reminded McCoy of their bet.

"Damn stubborn hobgoblin," he muttered to himself before handing Jim some credits for winning the bet. "Of course he would be on your side." He glared at Spock again. "And skip out on sleep to finish some Sudoku."

"Thanks," Jim said as he accepted the credits with a grin. "And don't worry, Bones. I'll make sure he gets some good, proper sleep tonight."


End file.
